Something to Think About

From the dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, Plato's The Allegory of the Cave, in the written book- The Republic by Plato

Extracted from what amounts to much elitist self justification:

This pearl of wisdom -

"And thus our State which is also yours will be a reality, and not a dream only, and will be administered in a spirit unlike that of other States, in which men fight with one another about shadows only and are distracted in the struggle for power, which in their eyes is a great good. Whereas the truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst."

Some background here... Plato considers that Enlightened Philosopher Kings are the only ones who should be allowed to rule and that such men are the only ones able to see those qualities in others. The ones who have been freed of their metaphoric chains and elevated out of the cave should be the ones to selectively elevate others.

I think that His master and mentor Socrates would have kicked his ass.

OMMAG